The British Open Championship organisers have announced the list of test pieces, prizes and adjudicators for the 93rd Spring Festival which will take place at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens on May 11th next year.

Red Priest

As expected, the bands hoping to make the step up to the British Open in September will have to overcome ‘Red Priest’ by Philip Wilby, the work used at Symphony Hall in 2011.

Tchaikovsky & Ball

A new arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s ‘Capriccio Italien — Op 45’ by Derek Broadbent is the intriguing choice for the bands in the Senior Cup, whilst the Eric Ball classic, ‘Journey into Freedom’ has been picked for the contenders in the Senior Trophy.

Continuity

A spokesperson told 4BR: "We have continued with our policy of musical continuity for bands at the Grand Shield with the selection of a recent British Open set work.

There is also something new and challenging in the Senior Cup with Derek Broadbent’s excellent arrangement of ‘Capriccio Italien’. The music of Eric Ball is always popular and testing for bands, and we are sure both the players and the audience will thoroughly enjoy ‘Journey into Freedom’ once more."

Although never chosen as the British Open set work, Eric Ball’s composition was used at the Grand Shield in 1985 and Senior Cup in 2004.

Judges

There is also a welcome new look to the list of adjudicators too, with the experience of David Read MBE and Frank Renton balanced with the Spring Festival debutants of Co-operative Funeralcare MD, Allan Ramsay and orchestral trombonist Adrian Morris allied to percussionist Simone Rebello and well known conductor Lynda Nicholson.

We have continued with our policy of musical continuity for bands at the Grand Shield with the selection of a recent British Open set workBritish Open organisers

Grand Shield:
Test Piece: Red Priest (Philip Wilby)

First Prize: £800 and Grand Shield
Second Prize: £600
Third Prize: £400
Fourth Prize: £300

Senior Cup:
Test Piece: Capriccio Italien Op 45 (Tchaikovsky arr. Derek M Broadbent)

First Prize: £600 and Belle Vue 100 Guinea Challenge Cup
Second Prize: £400
Third Prize: £300
Fourth Prize: £200

Senior Trophy:
Test Piece: Journey into Freedom (Eric Ball)

First Prize: £600 and Senior Trophy
Second Prize: £400
Third Prize: £300
Fourth Prize: £200